


Frey and McGray Ficlet Collection 2019

by DoreyG



Series: 2019 Ficlet Collections [7]
Category: Frey & McGray Series - Oscar de Muriel
Genre: Bonding, M/M, Near Death Experiences, On the Run, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoreyG/pseuds/DoreyG
Summary: A collection of any Frey & McGray ficlets I write in 2019 that are under 1000 words.
Relationships: Ian Frey/Adolphus "Nine-Nails" McGray
Series: 2019 Ficlet Collections [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1479362
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	1. Numb (Pre-Frey/McGray)

"I can't feel my hands," he says, uncomfortably aware of a _wrong_ feeling wetness - dank, and smelling of copper - seeping steadily deeper into his shirt.

"That's just the average Scottish winter, Percy," McGray says brusquely, pressing both hands down on his chest with a frankly painful amount of force. "Ye always were a pansy about it."

"True." He coughs absently, immediately spasms into a full body wince at the pain. "Though, _ugh_ , I think it more likely to be because I was just stabbed in the chest."

"Heh. Always going for the dramatic option. Always being a right drama queen, no matter the situation." McGray shoots a quick glance up at his face. Despite the bravado of his words, there's genuine worry in his eyes. "The slightest snowflake, and _you're_ going on like a snowflake about knives-"

"Nine-Nails," he interrupts softly, and offers the faintest smile as McGray finally breaks and looks up at him again. "I'm not sure if I'll survive this."

"As I _said_ , Percy-" McGray interrupts himself this time. Draws in a sharp breath, and closes his eyes briefly as if he's trying to ground himself in this miserable alleyway already covered in blood. "The wound is deep, admittedly, but I've seen deeper."

"On the living?"

" _Yes_. If we can get ye to safety quick enough, we might well be able to save ye without any lasting damage to anything but yer hoity toity suit." McGray opens his eyes but reluctantly, stares down at him. He doesn't think that he's ever seen the man look so helpless before. "Unfortunately that's a pretty big if, in this weather."

"You know, I always thought that I'd panic in this situation. Scream, rend my hair, do all the dramatic things you've accused me of countless times," he says dreamily, somehow soothed by McGray's honesty. "But instead I feel strangely calm. Maybe I'm growing as a person, or maybe it's just the blood loss."

"Or maybe yer just going loopy, Like I always thought ye would." McGray bites his lip for a long second, looking torn "...I don't want ye to die, Frey. I'd miss having ye around. Yer a dick, but yer still the best partner ever had."

"I always knew you liked me secretly," he says softly, musters just enough energy to shift his nerveless hand and lay it over McGray's on his chest. "I've always liked you secretly too. I always dreamed... Well, there's no point in being coy now. I always dreamed that we could be friends, more if you were inclined."

"Frey." McGray's eyes are wide, his face pale with the shock of realisation. "What are ye saying?"

"I'm _dying_ , Nine-Nails, do I really need to spell it out?" He heaves a sigh. Feels, somewhat worryingly, something wet and coppery tasting dribble out of the side of his mouth. "I _like_ you. For all our arguing, for all that we've done to each other, I'd still be yours in a heartbeat."

"Frey..." McGray whispers, and then starts forward in open alarm as he spits out another bloody string of saliva. "Dammit, _Ian_. You can't just tell me something like that and die, you can't just _leave_ me like this. It isn't fair-"

"Unfortunately," he says softly, and curls into McGray's warmth while he can still feel it. "That doesn't seem to matter much any more."


	2. On the Run (Pre-Frey/McGray)

"I don't think anybody followed us."

"For now," he says sharply, busy unpacking the meagre amount of food that they managed to bring with them. "I'm sure that they'll be on our trail soon enough. They have their ways, we'd be fools to hope otherwise."

"D'ye really think-?" McGray cuts himself off with a sigh, passes a brief hand over his eyes as he gathers himself. "Nah, stupid question. Of course they're going to keep coming after us. It's not like the queen of the United Kingdom has anything better to do."

"At least you _admit_ that you're being stupid for once," he says, and finally stops finding new ways to busy his hands, busy his thoughts, and instead just stands. "Though, to be perfectly honest, I can't believe it either. This all seems like a horrible dream, or one of those Penny Dreadfuls that Elgie always used to read."

"Yeah, that _Elgie_ used to read," McGray says mockingly, but with less actual venom than ever before. The man watches him for a long moment, seeming thoughtful, and then strolls over until he can lean his hip on the table beside him. "You alright, Percy?"

"I'm fine. Possibly in shock, but fine." He sighs himself, continues to stare down at their half unpacked food in a mournful way. "It's just... I never thought that I'd have the queen, Queen Victoria herself, howling for my head. I thought that she was better than this, somehow, not petty enough to ruin lives over her hurt feelings."

"Ach, Percy." McGray gives him a sympathetic look, at least, as he reaches over to clap a hand on his shoulder. "If there's anything this job should've taught ye, it's that _nobody_ is better than that."

"I guess I'm just a slow learner," he says wryly, and doesn't examine the pleasure he feels at McGray's answering smile too closely. "Are you alright? I know you're a little less keen on the idea of united kingdoms and absolute monarchs, but this still must be a bit of a shock for you."

"I've had worse shocks, believe you me. An' although this is unexpected, and a tadge inconvenient to tell the truth... Well." McGray gives him a crooked smile, squeezes his shoulder one last time before releasing. "At least we're not dead in a ditch yet."

" _Yet_ , being the key word there," he says, and gives McGray an amused smirk as he returns to his unpacking of several miserable looking packs of biscuits. "But I suppose you are right. We have our health, enough food that we won't die of starvation in the next week or so and a hiding place where we can plan our next step. It's better than nothing."

"That's the spirit!" McGray laughs, so brightly that something in his chest lifts at the very sight of it, and sends him a sparkling glance as he straightens up. "An' don't forget, we have each other too."

"How could I ever do that?" He says softly, unaccountably touched, and sends McGray a teasing look under his eyelashes. "Really, god save the queen now that the two of us are on the case."

McGray lets out an actual _bark_ of laughter, and claps a hand on his shoulder again. "Let's get to work, Percy."


End file.
